Requiem van Algol
|Cutie Mark = |Voice = |Owner = User:MelodyCrystel |Color 1 = #544570 |Color 2 = #8460A7 |Eyes = left eye and right eye |Mane = |Coat = |Misc 1 Title = |Misc 1 Text = |Nicknames = |Relatives = }}Requiem van Algol is a female unicorn pony and a skilled user of dark and light magic. Although her behavior plus way of speaking don't reveal it, she's a pony from antiquity who still 'lives' because of a failed spell. Willing to help those who are in need, this unicorn describes herself nevertheless as an antihero, since she wouldn't always put the lives of others over her own plan. Not many ponies are in the know of her tragic past, which reveals the reason for her general aloofness when it comes to other creatures. Development and design Coming later... History 'Era of Queen Sun Sparkle' Long before Star Swirl the Bearded became the great conjurer who's even famous in present age, a young colt named Etude Meteor studied magic in order to gain the force of life and death. Believing, that somepony must be able to bring back the creatures who died through sickness or accident and that also somepony had to possess the power to punish those who deserved nothing else but a merciless end, he was determined to become the greatest black-/white-mage who had ever existed. The unicorn was indeed powerful enough to reach the rank of a first-class-magician in no time, so he was supported by all the other ponies and even the queen in his attempt to obtain the control over the two immense powers. Etudes determination, however, made him blind for possible risks. The queen could see the danger in which he could get roped into every single day amongst his studies, wherefore she ordered one of her subjects to look after him as his assistant. Algol Lullaby was just like Etude a young unicorn – and though she wasn't the greatest talent when it came to magic, she shared Etudes only hobby: Music. The two ponies befriended each other thanks to their shared passion very quickly, whereupon Etude Meteor began to lose sight of his studies for several weeks. But when he realized that, he became wrathful and turned his back on Algol as well as the queen who had manipulated him via a friendship with another pony. In fact, he turned his back on every other creature, since he wanted to fulfill his destiny now without another distraction from his work. His decision turned out to be his doom, because the practice of a dangerous spell or rather curse missed its target – a tree – and turned instead against him. Just in this moment, Algol appeared and transferred through the knowledge she had gotten thanks to supporting him the whole curse on something else. Or rather, on herself, because she had only enough power for this kind of magic. Desperate, Etude took her into his hooves and tried to negate her spell, but she prevented him from taking the curse back. Before she died, she told him how much she was in love with him, so that she would never back down on sacrificing her life for him. Etude couldn't accept her death, but he had not yet the power the bring back those who had passed away. The only thing he could do was to switch places between a living and a dead creature. Unfortunately, the problem was, that both beings had to be equal – so for Algols life, he had to sacrifice the life of another unicorn. He refused punishing an innocent pony, since he was not so ruthless to ruin just another existence because of his own fault, which was why he made quickly a decision. Having feelings for Algol, too, Etude used his whole power to bring his precious friend back – in exchange for his own life. Even with his enormous energy, the spell failed. It didn't bring the young unicorn back to life. It only killed Etudes body. But in lieu of taking his soul to hell - or wherever it belonged now because of his sin – the spell merged Etudes ghost with Algols figure, which adapted instantly its appearance to this new soul. Practically frozen in time; similar to an undead, Etude was now trapped in this female shell. Without a clue, what had happened to himself or Algols soul, 'he' decided to find a way to make amends for 'his' fault and bring Algol back into her rightful life, while 'he' would happily go to hell. A while later, everypony including the queen started to believe, that Etude must have absolutely failed to become a magician of life and death, since neither he nor Algol could be found after several days of looking for them. All were sure, that he had killed himself and his assistant through his uncontrollable thirst for success. Because of that, the queen ordered, that no pony was allowed to study Etudes writings in order to follow his hoof-steps. Above all, she forbade his entire profession plus the practice of black magic entirely; leaving several magicians jobless. Etude wished to correct the orders of the queen, but 'he' didn't want to disappoint Sun Sparkle even more, so 'he' just watched everything from afar and observed her unnoticed until she passed away. 'Era of Star Swirl the Bearded' Using the code-name 'Requiem van Algol' more and more since the moment of being no longer Etude Meteor, the 'female undead' searched mostly unseen by other ponies for a solution for the trouble he/she had created. Luckily/Ironically, the queen of once was since ages dead, so that the memory of 'Etude Meteor' wasn't alive anymore. And a new conjurer became in these days famous for his studies, so she could stay indeed unperceived as ponies were busy with giving their attention to this new unicorn. Resigning any possibility to get help, since she feared to put another life into danger, she searched even after years alone. All kinds of black as well as white spells and magical objects in general were her first priority – leading the magician to different and even unknown places. While she traveled, Requiem payed nevertheless attention to be not discovered by Star Swirl whenever he was in her near, as he could interfere with her 'sinful' plan to bring a dead being back to life. But although she learned some new tricks, nothing changed – she saw no possibility to bring Algol back. When Star Swirl became old, Requiem heard, that he had befriended two strange ponies. Ponies, who possessed not only horns like unicorns, but wings like pegasi. These so-called alicorns were allegedly immortal as well as very powerful – and the new rulers of Equestria. Requiem was fascinated, yet not directly happy about this happening. After all, immortal creatures could recognize her doing sooner or later... The 'undead' unicorn decided to go for several hundred years into a magical slumber, which would allow her later to look for newer kinds of magic without being too noticeable for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. 'Before Nightmare Moons Fall' On the day when Rainbow Dash created her very first Sonic Rainboom as a filly, the ancient mage ended her deep slumber as she had sensed some kind of 'magical change' around her. From that moment on, she continued her search for something that would help her to switch one more time places with her passed friend. Along the way, she got used to the traditions of the current age and adapted herself to new linguistic quirks, since it was – considering her wish to be inconspicuous – necessary to fit her environment. Also, she began to support ponies who were in need with her magic, whenever she felt like acting social. 'Age of the Two Sisters' Requiem moved indirectly to Ponyville, while the first Nightmare Night occurred after Princess Lunas return from the moon. Hiding since that evening in the Everfree Forest and sometimes living in the Castle of the Two Sisters, she visited the village especially then whenever Twilight Sparkle was busy with her friendship-stuff, so she could use the modern library unnoticed. Additional, Requiem spied on the reports for Princess Celestia, since she had become curious when it came to the well-known personal student of the older royal sister. While she observed the young unicorn from afar, she met casual a young female zebra named Mena Stripes. The quadruped was searching for some herbs, but had trouble to find them. As Requiem was bored, she decided to help Mena. Although the mage didn't want to make friends – after all, she was an 'undead' – she spent from that moment on very often time with the zebra. It was odd, to admit that to herself, but her young companion reminded her of the time with Algol, wherefore Requiems dark personality became brighter when Mena was around. One day, Twilight came unexpected soon home, so Requiem was caught red-handed. Palming herself off as an ordinary thief, she claimed to have burglarized in order to steal some precious magical books. However, in her opinion, the library had turned out as a waste of time, since the writings she had searched weren't there. Indignant, Twilight kicked Requiem out of the building without questioning the stranger any further. Although she hadn't planned to be seen, the unexpected meeting was no failure for the magician. Because Celestias student hadn't looked through Requiems true intent and believed the criminal-lie, she could take advantage of being discovered by the quadruped. She started visiting the library 'official' – even without an invitation by its inhabitant, as she used the excuse to find Twilight as well as her books amusing. The young unicorn was not directly annoyed because of these visits, after Requiem didn't try to steal anything. In fact, Twilight just didn't like Requiems sudden attendances, since the strange unicorn had claimed that her beloved library was quasi a bad joke and not important for old scholars who would pay a generous price for every rare writing. It took several days, until the inhabitant of the library got used to the unplanned visits of this odd guest as well as her bold statements without any sign of politeness. Every-time they met, Requiem payed attention to not letting her new person of interest recognize, that she was very skilled when it came to magic. It was hard to say nothing specific whenever she watched Twilights practices of new spells, but she had to contain herself. Her role was the one of an intelligent, yet ordinary thief without greater abilities as an unicorn – and she knew perfectly how to play it. While Requiem spent now lots of time with Twilight as well as Mena, who she invited to join her library-trips, she made sure to meet not a single person of Twilights friends – except for Spike, who was almost always around Celestias student. Additional, she convinced the young unicorn of not mentioning her in these friendship-reports, since she was in the strict sense just a neighbor of Twilight who liked to entertain herself through watching interesting personalities. It surprised Requiem honestly, when the young unicorn got one day the order to complete the secret but unfinished spell of Star Swirl the Bearded. Pretending to be just curious, Requiem looked instead at the writing. When she widened her eyes, Twilight asked hopeful if she understood anything about the spell, but Requiem claimed to be completely over-strained with the text as a mere thief. It was a lie, as she got the meaning of this magic at once plus the way how it could be fixed, yet she didn't want to interfere with Twilights studies. Even, when the quadruped switched unwillingly the cutie-marks of her friends, Requiem didn't move a single hoof. A magician had to develop him-/herself sometimes without direct help in order to fulfill his/her destiny – this was Requiems motto. Particularly, the 'undead' unicorn still didn't want to reveal, that she was a first-class-mage. 'Age of Princess Twilight Sparkle' After Twilight had turned out to be a princess, Requiem focused for a while on spending time with Mena in the Everfree Forest. She had no idea, how to treat an alicorn alias alicorn-monarch properly, so she resigned the studies in the modern library. Although she didn't act like that, she had lots of respect when it came to royals, so she preferred some distance. After a few weeks, Mena informed her that Twilight missed the visits of the 'thief', and suggested a meeting with the new alicorn. Requiem said, that this was probably a stupid idea, but Mena stated correctly how sad the unicorn was since the moment she had begun to stay away from Celestias former student. The zebra explained, that no friendship-report would be from now on a possible danger for Requiem – though she didn't know why the unicorn didn't want to be mentioned amongst the writings – so it was unnecessary to act stubborn. Twilight was still Twilight; despite her new title and wings. Mena was right: When Requiem met her again in the library, the alicorn hadn't changed her attitude even a tiny bit. Twilight had just gained a new responsibility, which unsettled her currently because of the fact, that she had no idea what it meant to be a princess. Clearly amused by this 'problem', Requiem decided to play again the uninvited guest who appeared now and then in the library. Just before the meeting ended, somepony interrupted the 'private party' – another alicorn as well as princess who was called Cadence. Twilight introduced her former pony-sitter to the unicorn and suggested, that Requiem could befriend Cadence, too, as she had always been interested into the Crystal Empire when Twilight spoke about it. The 'thief' was at first not sure, as her reputation as a criminal must be daunting for the ruler of an Empire, but Cadence encouraged her to visit her home, since Twilight had assured her of Requiems good nature. Even with the access to the knowledge of the Crystal Empire, Requiem couldn't find anything helpful for solving her private problem. She tried to hide her disappointment from Cadence, Mena and Twilight, but other than Spike, she couldn't fool the three ponies. The two princesses and the zebra appraised her frustration as a sign of boredom, since it must be annoying for a criminal like her to play a goody-goody pony without getting at least now and then a treasure into her hooves. So, they researched a little bit in order to find a fitting challenge for Requiem in order to forget her seemingly monotonous life for a while. Indeed, they discovered the saga of a lost magical artefact, which was allegedly able to cure every illness. Believing, that such a treasure must be very valuable - especially when somepony could sell it for a good price – the three told Requiem the story of this artefact. Although she was a powerful white mage who had no interest into such a needless object, Requiem played her role as a thief like always perfectly – claiming, that she would be happy to go on this promising adventure. Twilight accompanied her together with Mena and her former pony-sitter, too, as aforesaid princess had an idea, where exactly the treasure could be located. Plus, it could take the magic of skilled unicorns – and since the thief was not good with spells, the two princesses were absolutely suitable for this task. Requiem had loved it to protest against their support, but as she couldn't reveal her true identity, she stayed quiet and followed them. In secret, it frustrated her especially, that her zebra-friend sought also for an adventure alias danger, since she was in comparison with the two alicorns really a defenseless or rather helpless girl. They went into a system of tunnels, where the princesses unlocked several seals through their magic, which caused a new way to appear. Requiem and Mena, however, solved some puzzles as well as riddles in this new tunnel, so that a magical door in the end of that way opened. The magician had a bad feeling when she read the ornamental label in ancient language, which was carved in the timber and mistaken by her companions for a simple decoration, yet she didn't dare to warn them. After all, they would be perplexed, that she knew how to decode it. Behind the door lay a huge cave with a wide abyss in the middle. A small, wooden sign-board stood next to a stony bridge which led to the other side of the never-ending black, where a treasure-chest revealed the location of the treasure they had been searching for. In the current language, a translation of the doors text was written in spidery letters on the wood: Every living creature who crosses the abyss will be temporarily punished with losing its advanced powers. While Twilight and Mena studied confused the writing, Cadance stated enthusiastic, that there was no need to walk directly over the abyss. Requiem tried to warn her, but the alicorn rushed already into the barrier which prevented everybody from flying over the giant hole. The princess injured her horn a little bit, but luckily she stayed apat from that unharmed. Via this experience, Twilight decoded correctly, that the abyss had to be crossed with the use of bridge, although it was not for sure how the mentioned punishment would look like. Requiem suggested to forget the treasure, but the three ponies insisted on finishing their adventure properly. After all, they as her friends wanted to cheer her up with this trip – and if they would obtain the artefact, her mood would surely light up. Embarrassed because of these words, she could not protest against their generosity. Twilight and Cadence decided to cross the bridge, while Requiem and Mena should wait for their return. Whatever it was that protected the treasure – spell or curse – they would erase it and reach the other side of the abyss. After the princesses had done the first steps, suddenly their appearances changed: Twilight lost her wings and Cadence her horn. Apart from Requiem, everypony was negative surprised, that this kind of trap had negated their alicorn-status – leaving the younger pony as an unicorn and her former filly-sitter as a pegasi. Requiems companions were a little bit indignant to learn the meaning of the warning like that, since it wasn't fair to reduce the powers of living creatures to their basis-status, but nevertheless the princesses continued their way over the bridge. Mena wanted to follow them since she was just a regular being, but suddenly a storm rose from the depths of the cave – preventing the zebra as well as the ponies on the bridge from making a single step. The harsh wind threatened to push the princesses into the abyss, so neither Twilight nor Cadence could move a single leg. This was the moment when Requiem had enough of this selfless babble of friendship. Determined, she walked to the bridge; approaching the princesses. Twilight recognized her doing and shouted through the storm, that she should go back, but the unicorn ignored that. When she had reached them, both princesses begged her to stop, but she simply responded, that she was no living being at all. As an 'undead', Requiem could pass the whole bridge without triggering the rest of the trap. In the moment when her hooves touched the other side of the cave, the storm calmed down and the princesses regained their alicorn-powers. While she opened the treasure-chest, her companions approached her with confused facial expressions. Twilight asked, what she had meant with stating, that she would be no living being. Sighing, Requiem suggested to leave the cave and the tunnels, before she would answer to Twilights question. Back on the surface, the moon and stars were already visible. Requiem asked while looking at them, if Twilight believed like everypony the obvious fact, that her second name would be inspired by the twin-star, Algol. The alicorn questioned the meaning behind that sentence instantly, which caused Requiem to grin as the princess had looked through her intent at once. She revealed for her three companions the true meaning of her name – that it was a reminder for the most important pony she had ever met; Algol Lullaby. Giving Twilight that single hint was enough to let her realize, that Requiem was definitely no ordinary pony. As the alicorn was interested of the history of magic, she knew this name from a specific story – the tale of Etude Meteor; the magician who had almost conquered life and death with his knowledge of black plus white magic. Twilight stated correctly, that Algol Lullaby as Etudes assistant had lived long before Star Swirl the Bearded, since she died together with the mage, so it was not possible for Requiem to have met her once. The only possibility was, that Requiem had used a time-spell in order to visit Algols era – which would negate the unicorns statement to be not skilled with magic. However, since she had uttered in the cave to be 'no living being', Twilight had meanwhile realized, how much the unicorn must have fooled everypony – even her, Cadence and Mena. Requiem looked at her three companions and nodded simply. While the princesses were speechless, Mena didn't want to believe into the idea of Requiem being a liar. Surprised, how much the zebra wasn't willing to accept the obvious 'truth', the unicorn admitted, that not everything had been a facade. In fact, she thought of the three ponies right in front of her as friends – although she couldn't use friendship in general, since she was in fact to allowed to live together with them. Confused, the alicorns and the zebra asked her, what she wanted to explain with these phrases, so Requiem conceded her existence as pony from the past; an 'undead' who still worked on earth. The unicorn told them her full story – her true identity; the time 'he' had spent with Algol Lullaby; how 'he' lost 'his' beloved friend and ended up in her body, as a female pony. Since she couldn't undo her mistake until now, she was still searching for a way to bring Algol back – and so, she asked her friends to inform no pony about her secret, since she feared to be hold up by Celestia and Luna if they should ever learn about her plans. After all, she wanted to do something impossible or rather forbidden, which the alicorns wouldn't tolerate after Etude Meteors former fail. Mena was the first one to assure Requiem of her discreetness, since she wanted to support her friend whenever she could. It didn't matter for her, that the unicorn was an 'undead', because friendship was more precious than the 'species' to which a single creature belonged. Cadence shared Menas opinion, too, because Requiem had to be a generous pony when she wanted to bring her friend back even if this would mean the end of her life. Twilight, however, couldn't promise to share the unicorns secret, as it seemed so unreal to her, that somepony could give up such powers of black and white magic plus a serious kind of immortality. Aggrieved by these words, Requiem responded angrily, that she would love it to trade everything she possessed off for getting Algol back. To see her smiling face again and to listen to her beautiful voice. But as she was unfortunately stuck in the body of her friend, she had to sacrifice also her own existence in this world for allowing Algol the continuance of her life. Requiem stated finally, that she was no fan of the immortal sisters, since immortality was not natural and forced creatures to outlive all their friends – being the most cruel 'gift' which existed in this world. She – even as Etude Meteor – had never sought for it, because she believed more than every other pony into life and death. Hearing this speech caused Twilight to trust Requiem again; causing her to promise the unicorn her reticency. Since that day, Requiem is truly befriended with Mena, Twilight and Cadence, although she's yet not ready to inform Spike about her secret identity. It's also still not her intent to reveal herself to Twilights other friends, because she's determined to make no other friendships as an 'undead' plus wants still to undo her mistake from the past. Yet, she supports Twilight now properly when it comes to magic and seeks for Menas sake to help her neighbors more often. Also, she translates sometimes ancient texts for Cadence, because the princess knows no other pony who's as skilled as her with the old language. Gallery Coming later... Category:Pony Category:Female Category:Mare Category:Unicorn